Mental Health Champions: Why & How Arthur Cooksey Of Let’s Talk Interactive Is Helping To Champion Mental Wellness

As a part of our series about Mental Health Champions helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Arthur Cooksey.

Arthur Cooksey serves as the Chairman and CEO of Let’s Talk Interactive, Inc. (LTI), leading the corporate strategy and development to drive the adoption of LTI’s suite of telehealth products and services. He founded the technology company as a way to provide consumers with access to qualified and licensed behavioral health professionals, which he later evolved into customized services and telehealth technology that LTI is known for today.

LTI’s telehealth solutions are having a major impact on expanding access to care for many organizations including healthcare systems, schools, first responders, skilled nursing facilities, non-profits, child welfare organizations, and more.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

I was born in Charlotte, NC, and raised by a single mother. Growing up, we moved a lot, which means I changed schools often and even attended military school. My high school class only had 32 students. I advanced out of some subjects which meant I had to participate in distance learning, which is where my passion for technology and problem-solving began. For example, I earned credits for learning how to build a car engine via a course in a book.

When not in school, I enjoyed freedom and responsibility when we lived on a farm in Colorado. I drove grain trucks, raised about 500 cows, grew wheat and barley, and held my first job test driving John Deere tractors during the night shift from 6pm to 6am.

In my late teens, I attended J Sargeant Reynolds Community College and later transferred to VCU in Richmond and on to Toronto Canada where I was accepted into the Academy of Dramatic Arts. That led me to Pasadena, California where I secured a BS in Marketing from Lacross U and graduated Cuma Sum Laude.

To read the full interview, click here.